We all have times when our creativity flags and we get stuck in a rut. It’s quite natural to go through the odd fallow patch when the ideas don’t flow as naturally as they usually do, whatever kind of writing or other creative work you do.
Once in a while, I think this is allowed. Few of us have the luxury of frequently taking a few days off to recharge creative batteries, given the pace of modern working life and the daily demands on our time.
But there are simple ways we can re-boot our creativity. I have found the following have worked in the past:
• Take a short break. Sounds obvious, but ten minutes away from your screen, a few stretches and a bit of gentle exercise (I like walking around my house for a few minutes) might give you the boost you need
• Sleep on it, or give it a few hours. Finish the first draft of your copy (it’s always better to complete a task than stop half way through). If time allows, try to do something else for a short while rather than agonising over why a draft isn’t perfect. Then return to the task in hand when you are more focused
• At the end of the working day, tune into some music you find particularly inspiring. Read a book, watch a favourite programme on TV, play with an app, go to the gym – you know what works for you
• Try reading out the draft of the article/blog/press release/etc. that’s been troubling you to a spouse/business partner to get their feedback. You may be judging your own work too harshly. Or perhaps not?
• Get a decent night’s sleep
• Surround yourself with creative, inspiring, challenging people
• Meet new people from other walks of life than your own. A cliché? Maybe, but creativity and ideas come from all sorts of (sometimes unlikely) sources. Be sure to talk to people, even if you know nothing about their backgrounds and professions. Ask questions. You might be surprised at the outcome
• Find the right environment to work in. But learn to write, too, in places where things are less than ideal – simply shut out the distractions
• Step back a bit from that particular piece of copy or writing task. Remember, yes, it is very important to the client and/or you, but the success of project itself is not life-dependant
• Ignore the voices of doubt that sound in our heads from time to time
• Try scribbling, doodling, writing down random words on scraps of paper, juggling –whatever brings your imagination alive. Good luck in rekindling the creative flames – they seldom go out completely for too long!
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